How To Make Coffee

by Lani Kingston

To make any old cup of coffee, you simply need a pot, heat, ground coffee, and water. But you're not just anyone. You are a coffee aficionado, a determined, fearless seeker of the best java. And this is the guide for you.
                      
How to Make Coffee provides an in-depth look at the art and science behind the bean. Learn the anatomy of coffee; the chemistry of caffeine; the best way to roast, grind, and brew the beans to their peak flavor; and what gadgets you really need (versus what gadgets are for mere coffee dilettantes). With illustrated, step-by-step instructions, How to Make Coffee is for the person who doesn't want to settle for anything less than the perfect cup.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Science, Cooking, Food and Drink, Reference, Cookbooks

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Suwitcha Chandhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

หนังสือเล่มนี้ต้นฉบับดีอยู่แล้ว แต่ไม่คิดว่าจะมีสนพ.ไหนหยิบมาแปลไทย เพราะค่อนข้างเฉพาะทาง จึงดีใจที่ได้อ่านภาคภาษาไทยของหนังสือเล่มนี้ ความดีอีกข้อก็คือมีคำศัพท์หลายคำเกี่ยวกับกาแฟที่ยังไม่เคยมีใครกำหนดคำเป็นภาษาไทยมาก่อน หรือไม่นิยมใช้แพร่หลาย หนังสือเล่มนี้จึงใช้เป็นแหล่งอ้างอิงคำศัพท์ได้อีกทางหนึ่ง แม้ว่าจะมีหลายคำไม่คุ้นหูอยู่บ้าง แต่โดยรวมแปลออกมาได้กระชับ สละสลวยดี ชอบครับ

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you've ever wanted to know about making coffee, science and complicated methods. The geekiest book I have read on coffee making.

[Bisera]

Pokraj site nauci dokazuvanja za kako toa mora kafeto kako espreso sa go pies za da go vkusis celosno, jas yet again ke go pijam so mleko ❤️

[Hong · Rating 3 out of 5]

- Level of scientific details: enough for a 40 minutes presentation at high school level. This is at ~20% of my expectation.

- Practical information for coffee-makers: probably sufficient for amateurs? Probably not for professionals. I do find information that helps me and I am satisfied.

- Clarity: easy to read overall. There are subjective descriptions I find confusing (not sure if it's my fault). For example, "complex snappy composite flavors", or a figure showing grind size without scale bar.

[Tan Theansukhont · Rating 5 out of 5]

"หนังสือที่คนรักกาแฟควรมี"

ที่จริงนี่เป็นการอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นครั้งที่สอง หลังจากครั้งแรกที่อ่านไปไม่จบในช่วงต้นปีที่แล้ว
หนังสือเล่มนี้จะพาเราออกไปสู่โลกของกาแฟทั้งในมุม ทฤษฎี และ ปฎิบัติ ครบถ้วนตั้งแต่ต้นน้ำที่เล่าถึงความเป็นมาของกาแฟ เมล็ดกาแฟ ต่อมาจนถึงวิธีการโปรเซส การคั่ว การชิม จนมาถึงปลายน้ำที่ อธิบายถึงวิธีการสกัดกาแฟทุกวิธี จนออกมาสู่กาแฟอร่อยๆในแก้วที่เราได้ดื่มกัน

หนังสือเล่มนี้อาจจะยากไปสักหน่อยสำหรับคนที่แค่ชอบทานกาแฟ ซึ่งก็เป็นสาเหตุที่ปีที่แล้วอ่านไม่จบ แต่หลังจากที่ต้นปีที่ผ่านมาไปเทคคอรส Basic Barista มา ทำให้มีความรู้เรื่องกาแฟมากขึ้น และกลับมาอ่านอีกครั้ง พบว่าหนังสือเล่มนี้ได้เปิดโลกและเพิ่มความรู้ต่อยอดให้อย่างมากเลยทีเดียว

[Ward De Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

leuk boek om te lezen!

[sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just love learning about things !!!

Not as in-depth as I anticipated or hoped but a good starting point for learning about some of the in's + out's of the world of coffee.

[Jambolino23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a relatively shallow approach to coffee science, history, and various brewing techniques. It promises a better understanding of coffee science to make better coffee, but never applies the new knowledge to the actual process of coffee making. Yes, it describes different roast types, the anatomy of a bean, how to tell if green beans are spoiled, different equipment and basic methods to use them, but ultimately fails in describing how to tweak methods for better coffee, or even the thought process behind why the methods are used. Is your coffee too weak and acidic? Are you looking for a technical explanation on whether you should change grind size, temperature, coffee to water ratio, steep time, or other factors to make your cup better? If so, look elsewhere. This book will just provide you a flavor wheel to more accurately describe your bad coffee. I guess my coffee is wild, unbalanced, and tastes of tomato - and that's the way it will have to stay.

[รพีพัฒน์ อิงคสิทธิ์ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ให้ความรู้สึกแบบ Dictionary รวมศัพท์น่ารู้เกี่ยวกับวงการกาแฟ แต่ปัญหาของหนังสือลักษณะนี้คือมัก Stuck in the Middle คือลึกแบบครึ่งๆ กลางๆ ทำให้บางประเด็นอ่านจบแล้วจำอะไรไม่ได้เลย เพราะเต็มไปด้วยชุดคำศัพท์ที่เข้าใจยาก

เหมาะสำหรับผู้เริ่มต้นสนใจเรื่องกาแฟ

[Antonio Caggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on learning everything to do with coffee.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little book. I came because of the anticipated good tips and stayed for the fun facts. 😂 probably a good one to have on the shelf for reference when you feel creative about your coffee practices.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much the facts about coffee, from chemical makeup and chemical processes in growing, prepping, grinding, roasting, and brewing, through devices used for coffee. The book ended with descriptions of different coffee and espresso drinks with steps to make these drinks well defined. There are line drawings throughout. This is more for reference, the author doesn't try to make it very exciting. I noticed the info on the Clover machine, which is covered in a few paragraphs, was a bit dated. The book would have benefited from additional info on suggested brands or types, taste tests, reheating, flavorings, and other things a coffee connoisseur might want to try at home or at their local café.

[Anh Vu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sách khá insightful và dễ hiểu cho người mới bắt đầu tìm hiểu về coffee. Nội dung sách siêu đa dạng, nào là nguồn gốc, điểm khác biệt giữa các loại hạt, quy trình sản xuất và chế biến, loại đồ ăn nào ăn cùng với coffee để elevate hương vị hơn, và ngay cả hướng dẫn cách pha chế dành cho barista cũng có =)) Tớ cũng đặc biệt thích những sách có sơ đồ minh hoạ các nguyên lí với hình mô tả bộ phận các máy pha cafe, kiểu có thể vừa đọc vừa theo dõi hình. This is purely coffee science.

[Ernest Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful yet extremely entertaining way in explaining how to make the perfect cup of coffee. It goes through the different types of terminology of coffee beans, ranging from Arabica beans to Robusta beans. Lani Kingston does an amazing job incorporating illustrations to help the reader fully understand the different processes in making the perfect cup, as well as the different equipment needed.

As Lani Kingston mentions at the start of the book, “How to make coffee is not a recipe book, a bean anthology or lifestyle accessory”. It takes the science behind all aspects of coffee and makes it interesting and fun to learn.

If you are a coffee lover and what to know in depth the science behind your perfect cup, this is a must read.

[Spidermonkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tämä oli ehkä vähän parempi kuin ennen tätä lukemani teekirja. Jotenkin tästä kahvikirjasta tuli kylläisempi olo - siis sellainen, että aihetta käsiteltiin jotenkin vähän kokonaisvaltaisemmin.

Itse myös juon enemmän kahvia kuin teetä, eli kahvi on elintarvikkeena minulle tutumpi. Teetä juon enemmän syksyisin ja talvella, pimeään ja kylmään vuodenaikaan siis.

[Danika Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential coffee reading! Compared to the book before it, this book was unopinionated and purely focused on giving a good introduction to the science of good coffee. It was the perfect amount of technical, theoretical, and practical information. I feel like a professional barista already. :) Highly recommend.

[Jeremy Hessman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains a lot of information about the coffee industry, brewing techniques, and helpful tips, without feeling overwhelming. Great brief overview while still getting the full picture that helps show why people are obsessed with coffee.

[Bianca Borandă · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee bible for at-home baristas!

[Fernando De Freitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing little coffee book. It's focused mainly on the technical aspects of the coffee bean and also some brewing theory. Also has pretty handy instructions on how to brew coffee using different methods, as well as how to brew different espresso types (like ristretto and macchiato). It's a nice book to fine-tune your coffee making skills

[Michael Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compact and clear information about coffee methods, types, history, and more. A quick read that's sure to teach you something about the liquid gold that is coffee.

[Aaron Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like a textbook in a good way! This is a short interesting read that just expounds and explains coffee on a scientific level. For fans of coffee this is extremely informative!

[Three Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

well researched and encyclopedic

[Dariusz Kuśnierek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeśli interesuje Was nie tylko to *jak*, ale i *dlaczego* właśnie tak należy przygotowywać kawę, to ta książka jest dla Was.

[Lino Verde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three ways to dry beans:
- Dry method: more flavorful but less consistent in flavors
- Wet method (wash): more expensive, more favored because of consistency
- Semi-washed (miel): brings out sweetness

Coffee roasting (1st crack —> 2nd crack — > dark roast)
During the roasting process, the coffee bean goes through its most drastic color changes. Starting out as a particular shade of green, the first color change that the bean undergoes is a paling as it loses steam. The green color eventually pales to a yellow as the coffee bean heats up and the heads toward the first crack. The yellow starts to take on the first hints of brown as the initial toasty aromatic notes start to develop. As the bean gets browner, it starts to expand ever so slightly.

After the first crack has finished, the bean will have expanded and the color starts to even out. It is a medium brown at this stage, and it will now continue to get darker as it heads toward the second crack. As the second crack draws nearer, a faint sheen of oil starts to appear on the surface of the bean as the coffee oils are released. At this stage, the bean will have prominent roasted flavors and be dark.

The bean can be taken all the way to a dark roast where all the sugars are caramelized and a carbon or ashy flavor starts to take hold, but many of the nuances of the bean flavor will be lost at this point.

European coffee is more dark roast, whereas American coffee is more medium roast. The Third Wave Coffee is about light roast to bring out the uniqueness of every coffee bean. It focuses on providing high-quality, artisanal coffee for those who value the bean on its own merits, not merely as a caffeine delivery system or a beverage to which you add sweeteners or milk.


Instant coffee is made out of drying brewed coffee.
Two methods to evaporate coffee for instant coffee:

Four brewing methods:
- filter (e.g. drip coffee and pour-over)
- boil (e.g. Turkish coffee)
- pressuring (e.g. AeroPress and Espresso)
- steeping (e.g. French press)

[Heidi Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pha cà phê thì hết sức đơn giản, nhưng để hiểu và pha cà phê ngon thì lại không đơn giản như bạn tưởng. 

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 cung cấp một cái nhìn sâu hơn về nghệ thuật và khoa học đằng sau hạt cà phê. Học về cà phê không phải chỉ là pha chế mà liên quan tới các chất hoá học của caffein; làm thế nào để rang, xay, và pha cà phê với hương vị tốt nhất của chúng; Giải thích lý do tại sao cà phê lại cho ra mùi vị như vậy theo một cách khoa học nhất (Sự liên quan giữa vật lý, hoá học, nông nghiệp, công nghiệp)với hướng dẫn minh họa (mà theo mình nhìn như một quyển sách hoá học thực sự).

Ví dụ như:

• trồng ở độ cao hay thấp thì có ảnh hưởng gì đến hương vị của cà phê?
• những thành phần có trong ly cà phê, những phản ứng hóa học trong khi rang sẽ ảnh hưởng như thế nào đến độ chua, ngọt, đắng và mùi hương khi pha?
• hay trong quá trình pha thì độ xay và nhiệt độ khác nhau thì sẽ ảnh hưởng đến chiết xuất ra sao, tỉ lệ lý tưởng cho chất rắn trong cà phê và nước ….vv.

Nắm vững những kiến thức này sẽ giúp bạn pha ra 1 ly cà phê tốt hơn vì “hiểu” được những hiện tượng đang xảy ra.

Nếu bạn ở Việt Nam, bạn có thể dễ dàng mua cuốn sách này ở đây: https://bookee.store/

[Lertad Supadhiloke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The actual "how to make coffee" part is actually the final, small portion of the book, as it should be. As you come to appreciatd from reading the book, in order to understand why a cup of coffee tastes the way it does, you have to understand the science, process, and supply chain of the beans themselvea, as a major part of how your cup tastes are affected from before they are brewed.

As someone learning and wondering about why there are such different kinds of coffee beans and brewing methods and tools and types of drinks, this book gave me a thorough understanding of what to consider when deciding what kind of drink I was in the mood for.

The book rarely passes judgement on your tastes and prefefences, and covers the majority of popular ways to consume coffee in the modern day.

Overall a very fun and educational read.

[Joseph Hamilton · Rating 1 out of 5]

How to Make the Best Coffee at Home by James Hoffman is a better book in my opinion although it too has its problems. There are two diagrams of interest in this book. One is a flavor wheel which has been superseded by the 2016 one from the Specialty Coffee Association (of America), World Coffee Research and the UC Davis Coffee Center. The other is a chart that quantifies the sweet spot for coffee. If you want to scrutinize or photocopy that chart, you will need the hardcopy edition. Like all the coffee how-to books I have read, this one declines to recommend actual brands and models of coffee making equipment.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book covers many topics but doesn't go very deep into any of them. I don't know who this is for, because most coffee enthusiasts know the vast majority of this information already.

If you just want to learn about brew methods, Craft Coffee is a better book. If you want to learn about coffee, Atlas of Coffee is a better book.

I will say I enjoyed the first third, which was more science-driven. But once it got into making coffee, I got bored.

[Tristan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took a while for me to finish this book, but I have.
It is okay, as someone with no prior knowledge of coffee I got a more basic understanding of the history and how it came to be, but to be honest I found myself a little lost when it came to the science of it all. But it is a nice book, its easy to read but sometimes jargon is thrown in there and doesnt hold your hand (not that it needs to)

4/10
It simply fell out of relevance for me, but I do think it was a pretty nice travel book.

[Jeffrey Ning · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Make Coffee lives up to its title to explain the scientific principles behind the art of coffee making with clear steps.

Six sections make me holding on to my seat to eagerly read them. I love the Taster’s Flavour Wheel which reminds me of and supplement my past coffee appreciation workshops.

Highly recommended to coffee-loving non-scientists or any one who loves coffee.